A Virginia man already in prison was sentenced on December 3 to two years for stealing $1500 worth of welding leads from a parked truck in the north county in late April.

Douglas Ray Ratcliffe Jr., 35, pleaded no contest to dealing in stolen property and the state dropped a felony count of grand theft. Judge Mark Moseley ordered the sentence to run at the same time as one the defendant is serving for three Suwannee County offenses, including burglary and grand theft.

Mr. Ratcliffe was arrested shortly after he brought an estimated 200 feet of copper leads to Scrappy Pappy’s yard east of Macclenny. At the time he was driving a vehicle with a license plate stolen in Duval County.

The leads were taken from a vehicle parked off O.C. Horne Rd.

In a second prison sentencing, Judge Moseley ordered Brandon Kyle Johnson, 33, to serve 18 months for violating probation when he was arrested for felony shoplifting as a repeat offender in September.

The Sanderson man was placed on a two-year probation for grand theft a year ago.

• Deborah Morgan entered a no contest plea to felony driving on a suspended license and was placed on a two-year probation with the stipulation that she obtain a license.

• John Adam Mann drew a term of five months in county jail in return for his no contest pleas to dealing in stolen property and resisting arrest. The state dropped a second stolen property count.

• A warrant was issued for the arrest of Danielle McHenry after she failed to appear in court on a charge of possessing chemicals to produce drugs.

Florida House Representative Dennis Baxley of Ocala plans to file a bill soon to give state legislators more oversight of state parks.
Rep. Baxley, an outspoken Republican and funeral director, announced his desire to introduce the legislation during a December 2 meeting on the proposed monument to Union soldiers at Olustee Battlefield State Park.

The final two of Delicia Washington’s 23 points against the Episcopal Eagles on December 6 proved to be the most important ones of the game as they catapulted the Lady Wildcats to a physical 48-46 home victory.